Penn Acronym Dictionary

Penn Acronym Dictionary

Penn uses many acronyms to describe various groups and systems across campus. Below is a collection of commonly used acronyms. If you don't find the acronym you're looking for, let us know.

Acronym

Meaning
ABCS Academically-Based Community Service. Special courses that incorporate problem-oriented research and service learning involving West Philadelphia public schools, communities of faith and community organizations.

AOD

(RENAMED TO SUPER) Alcohol & Other Drug Program Initiatives. Now part of Penn Wellness, AOD works to mitigate the negative impacts of alcohol and other drug use on campus.
APC

Alice Paul Center for Research on Women and Gender. SAS-based research center. Also home to the Gender, Culture, and Society undergraduate major.

APT

Advising Programs and Training. College office working group focusing on communication as well as pre-major and peer advising with the associated training.
BBB

Biological Basis of Behavior. Large interdisciplinary undergraduate major involving faculty from several SAS departments (primarily Biology and Psychology) as well as from the Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.
BEN*

Business Enterprise Network. A suite of web-based applications that support University financial functions. Frequently-used prefix on various financial reports.
BFS Benjamin Franklin Scholars. Akin to an "honors" program for specially-selected undergraduates in the College. Sponsors own series of seminar courses.
BGS

Biomedical Graduate Studies. Umbrella entity for seven graduate groups in the basic biomedical sciences. Administered by the School of Medicine, but highly interschool in nature; many SAS faculty are members of these graduate groups.
CAN

Course Action Notice
CAPS*

Counseling and Psychological Services. University office that provides these services free of charge to students.
CAS

College of Arts and Sciences. More generally referred to as The College. The undergraduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences.
CCAT*

(Pronounced see-cat.) Center for Computer Analysis of Texts. Provides advice and information in support of humanities research and distribution of its electronic products and byproducts. Also the name of a server which houses a number of electronic resources for scholars.
CGS

College of General Studies. The lifelong learning/continuing education division of the School of Arts and Sciences. Also serves as the administrative home for all Penn summer courses.
CHAS

College Houses and Academic Services. Penn's undergraduate residential college house system.
CIT

Courses in Touch. Online application (http://www.upenn.edu/isc/apps/CoursesInTouch/) that allows instructors to access class lists and to generate email Course Problem Notices (CPN) to students having difficulty with a course.
CM

Curriculum Management
CPCW

Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing. Home to Penn's writing programs: the Critical Writing Program, the Creative Writing Program, and Kelly Writers House.
CPN

Course Problem Notice. Email notice generated from Courses in Touch to alert students to potential problems in a course, in time for the student to take steps to correct the problem and obtain the appropriate support.
CTL

Center for Teaching and Learning. SAS-based resource that provides individual consultation and group programs designed to enhance the quality of faculty instruction.
CUD

Council of Undergraduate Deans
CURF*

Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. University-based center that promotes undergraduate research opportunities (faculty may register opportunities in the office's database) and coordinates applications for competitive national and international student fellowships (e.g., Rhodes, Marshall).
CWiC*

Communication within the Curriculum. SAS-based program that promotes the enhancement of students' oral communication skills through specially-designated courses, workshops, and advisors.
CTT

Center for Technology Transfer. Obtains and manages patents, copyrights and trademarks derived from the University's academic research enterprise.
DP

Daily Pennsylvanian. Penn's student-owned newspaper, published Monday to Friday during the academic year.
DRL

David Rittenhouse Laboratories. Academic building at 33 rd and Walnut Streets housing the Department of Mathematics, Depaltment of Physics and Astronomy, and several large lecture classrooms.
ECAR

Eligibility and Certification Approval Report
ELP

English Language Programs. Offers short-term, non-credit courses in English as a Foreign Language. Also certifies English language competency of graduate students who serve as teaching assistants.

GAPSA*

Graduate and Professional Student Assembly. Primary student government body for all graduate and professional students.
GRAM*

Grant Reporting and Management System. Provides year-to-date balances on active grants with links to supporting transactional and employee payment detail.
GSAC*

Graduate Student Associations Council. Represents Ph.D. students at Penn and represents SAS graduate students in GAPSA.

GSE

Graduate School of Education. One of Penn's twelve schools.

HSS

History and Sociology of Science. An SAS academic department.

IACUC

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Reviews research at Penn involving animals.

ICA

Institute of Contemporary Art. Located at 30 and Sansom Streets.

IR

International Relations. Large interdisciplinary undergraduate major involving faculty from Political Science, History, and Economics.

IRB

Institutional Review Board. Approves all research at Penn involving human volunteers.
IRCS* Institute for Research on Cognitive Science. Inter-school (primarily SAS and Engineering) research center.
ISC

Information Systems and Computing. The central University division that oversees these areas.

ISP

Integrated Studies Program. The freshman curriculum for Benjamin Franklin Scholars pursuing degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences.

LSP

Local Support Provider. Member of SAS Computing staff designated to serve specific departments or programs.

MMETS*

Multimedia and Educational Technology Services. Part of the instructional technology division of SAS

Computing. Provides an array of audio/visual support systems for academic and course-related purposes.
MUGWG

Mini Undergraduate Working Group

NGSS

New Generation of Student Systems. Describes the new platform for student records that will integrate many processes like graduation audit, student class registration, course rostering, transfer credit, among others.

OIP

Office of International Programs. University office that supports study abroad programs and provides services to international scholars and students (e.g., on immigration matters).

ORA

Office of Regulatory Affairs. Enforces compliance with research standards with regard to the treatment of people and animals.

ORS

Office of Research Services. Provides administrative support to faculty and department staff for sponsored research projects.
OSC

Office of Student Conduct. Acts on behalf of the University in matters of student discipline; deals with alleged instances of academic dishonesty and other student misconduct.
OUR

Office of the University Registrar
OURLM

Office of the University Registrar Leadership Meeting

PENNCAP*

Pennsylvania College Achievement Program. Works with academically talented students, many from low-income or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, to support their success during their entire four years at Penn.

PLC

Penn Language Center. Provides resources to support language teaching generally and offers instruction in a broad range of less-commonly-taught languages.

PPE

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Large interdisciplinary undergraduate major involving faculty from these three areas.
PRAG

Pennant Records Advisory Group
PRGP

Pennant Records Governance Board

PVP

Penn Violence Prevention. Office responsible for reducing student violence, particularly sexual violence, on campus.

RCM

Responsibility Center Management. Penn's financial management structure, under which each school is treated as a revenue-generating center that is responsible for funding the direct cost of its own operation and contributing to the cost of operating the University's central administrative functions. The system serves as an incentive for schools to be fiscally responsible and entrepreneurial.
RCRG

Records Community Readiness Group
RWG

Registrar Working Group

SAC

Student Activities Council. Student-run body that recognizes and funds undergraduate activities and organizations.

SCUE*

Student Committee on Undergraduate Education. Independent student organization that seeks to enhance and expand curricular opportunities, advising, and the overall quality of the undergraduate academic experience. Members serve both as advocates for the student voice and as advisors to the faculty and administration.

SEAS

School of Engineering and Applied Science. One of Penn's twelve schools.

SFS

Student Financial Services. Administers the University's student financial aid program.

SoM

School of Medicine. One of Penn's twelve schools.
SP2

(School of) Social Policy and Practice. One of Penn's twelve schools.
SUPER  Substance Use, Prevention, Education, and Recovery Program
UAB

Undergraduate Advisory Board. Student boards that exist in many undergraduate majors to serve as liaisons with undergraduate chairs.
UGWG

Undergraduate Working Group

VPUL

Vice Provost for University Life. University division that provides a wide range of student support services, from tutoring and career services to student activities to health and psychological services.